Side by side
st vs Tilda
Both stand on terminal emulators. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Linux
st focuses on a straightforward graphical terminal with broad text and color support. Its deliberately narrow scope excludes tmux behavior and unlimited scrollback, so those needs require other software.
Visit st Free plan Linux
Choose Tilda if you want a configurable Linux terminal that can be summoned by hotkey, with tab shortcuts and flexible search. Its main platform caveat is Wayland: it runs there through Xwayland rather than as a native Wayland desktop application.
Visit TildaThe facts
| st | Tilda | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux | Linux |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | st.suckless.org | github.com |
| On terminal emulators | #29 of 40 | #33 of 40 |
st: what it does well
- Free Linux terminal for X
- Supports UTF-8 and wide characters
- 256 colors and true colors
- Configurable shortcuts in config.h
- Actively developed Git repository
What to know first
- No unlimited scrollback buffer
- Not intended to reimplement tmux
- Configuration uses source headers
- Linux platform only
Tilda: what it does well
- Drops down from the top of the screen using a hotkey.
- Appearance settings include transparency and configurable keybindings.
- Search supports regular expressions and case-sensitive matching.
- Includes tabs, a scripting API, and a D-Bus interface.
- Can be installed through a package manager or built from source.
What to know first
- Designed for Xorg desktops; Wayland use relies on Xwayland.
- Some BSD systems are supported, but Linux is the listed platform.